Method for tracking contacts

Abstract

A description is given of a method for tracing contacts occurring among a group of users within a space in which a plurality of detection stations are set up, wherein: having selected a reference user from among the group of users, identifying for each station all the passages carried out by one or more tracing components assigned to the reference user; for each station, having established an interval of probably contact, among all the passages determining possible passages of users having come into contact such that the following condition occurred: t j , ref - Δ ⁢ t j < t j , contact < t j , ref + Δ ⁢ t j and from the passages determined identifying the identity of the users who came into contact with the reference user.

1 . Method for tracing the contacts that have occurred among a group of users within a space in which a plurality of detection stations are set up, wherein each user of the group of users is assigned a tracing means apt to be detected by the detection stations, comprising:
 recording, by detecting said tracing means, all the passages carried out by each user at each station of the plurality of stations, each of the passages having associated a time stamp related to the detection time and the identifier of the tracing means;   once a reference user has been selected from among the group of users, identifying for each station all the passaged made by said tracing means assigned to said reference user;   for each station, having established a probable contact interval, which is an interval of time within which two users who have transited through the same station risk having been in contact, among all the passages, determining possible passages of users who came into contact with the reference user such that the following condition has occurred:   
       
         
           
             
               
                 
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         associating with each user of the group of users a unique identification code and creating a user identification register in which the data and contact details of each user, together with the associated unique identification code are recorded; 
         associating said unique identification code with the tracing means assigned to each user; and 
         from the passages determined identifying, through the relation linking the passages, the tracing means and the unique identification codes, the identity of the users who came into contact with the reference user. 
       
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the identities of the users who came into contact with the reference user are collected in a list of users to be contacted. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising the steps consisting of:
 compiling a list of users not to be contacted including, for each user, the respective unique identifier;   removing from said list of users to be contacted the users also present in the list of users not to be contacted.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the identification of the passages made by said tracing means assigned to the reference user is limited in time to an interval of interest. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said tracing means is represented by physical media, software-readable media, or by a combination of physical media and software-readable media. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of detection stations has instruments able to detect said tracing means both in physical and software-readable format. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein tracing means is represented by a card used as ski pass in ski resorts or as an entry ticket to an amusement park. 
     
     
         8 . The method for contact tracing according to  claim 7  carried out in combination with a system of management of a ski resort or of an amusement park, comprising the steps consisting of:
 receiving the report of the need to identify the contacts that a reference user had with other users within a group of users; 
 determining the card owned by the reference user; 
 determining the contacts occurring between the card owned by the reference user and other cards used by the group of users; 
 determining the holders of the cards with which the reference user has had contacts; 
 contacting the users identified in the previous step. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein said reference user is a COVID-19 positive user. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the identification of the passages made by said tracing means assigned to the reference user is limited in time to an interval of interest. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the identification of the passages made by said tracing means assigned to the reference user is limited in time to an interval of interest. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein said tracing means is represented by physical media, software-readable media, or by a combination of physical media and software-readable media. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein said tracing means is represented by physical media, software-readable media, or by a combination of physical media and software-readable media. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein said tracing means is represented by physical media, software-readable media, or by a combination of physical media and software-readable media. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein each of said plurality of detection stations has instruments able to detect said tracing means both in physical and software-readable format. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein each of said plurality of detection stations has instruments able to detect said tracing means both in physical and software-readable format. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein each of said plurality of detection stations has instruments able to detect said tracing means both in physical and software-readable format. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein each of said plurality of detection stations has instruments able to detect said tracing means both in physical and software-readable format. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein tracing means is represented by a card used as ski pass in ski resorts or as an entry ticket to an amusement park. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein tracing means is represented by a card used as ski pass in ski resorts or as an entry ticket to an amusement park.